Download rdrwa parasites and bacteria.pptx

What are Bacteria?
Red Deer River Watershed Alliance
•  Bacteria are tiny living things
•  Bacteria are single celled organisms
visible only with a microscope
•  Most bacteria are helpful but
some bacteria can cause illness,
we call those “pathogens”
Indicators:
Bacteria and Parasites.
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Bacteria of interest in Water
Total Coliforms
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•  Many bacteria can be found in water
•  Water can support growth
•  Many become ill yearly from consumption or exposure
to water
•  Generally we focus on two Bacterial parameters in
water:
–  Total Coliforms
–  E.coli
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A group of bacteria found everywhere in
the environment and contains
both feacal and non faecal bacteria
Can be an indication of contamination
Is a type of bacteria rather than a
specific bacteria
Are used as an indication of
contamination in drinking water.
May but do not necessarily cause illness
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E. coli (Escherichia coli)
What is a Parasite?
•  Originate from the intestines and waste of warm
blooded animals
•  Their presence indicates the recent presence of human
or animal wastes
•  E. coli has the ability to cause serious illness even in
low numbers
•  Parasites are organisms that require a host
•  Generally the parasite benefits at the expense of the
host
•  There are a large variety of parasites
•  Cryptosporidium and Giardia are the primary parasites
of concern
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Cryptosporidium
Giardia
•  A protozoan parasite
•  One of the most common waterborne
diseases worldwide
•  Responsible for many drinking water and recreational
water outbreaks
–  1993 – Milwaukee – More than 400 000 ill
–  1996 – Kelowna – More than 15, 000 ill
–  2001 – Didsbury/Medicine Hat – Recreational water
outbreaks
•  Hosts include cattle, humans and others
•  Protozoan parasite
•  Sourced from Cats, Dogs, Cattle, Beavers, Deer, Sheep
and others
•  Sometimes called beaver feaver
•  Less likely to cause outbreaks but is responsible for
much individual illness.
•  Fecal Oral transmission
•  Gastrointestinal illness
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Regulation
What do we know about our rivers?
•  Different standards currently exist for water bodies
–  Recreational water quality guidelines – Health
Canada
–  Agriculture/Irrigation guidelines – Can Council of
Ministers of Environment
–  Nuisance Regulation – Alberta Public Health Act
•  AHS deals primarily with PHA
•  PHA sets a maximum or 200 faecal coliforms/100 ml
•  No established MAC for parasites
•  Historical testing has been limited and sporadic
•  Some areas have exceeded standards while others are
within standards
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Recommendations
Questions?
•  Testing could help establish baseline levels and
determine the quality water in the basins
•  Testing is a means to an end.
•  Testing does not solve the problem but could identify
the problem and help to direct efforts and resources
•  Individual results may have less value than trends over
time
•  Testing has its limitations
•  Call 403-356-6390
•  Garth Gosselin – Public Health Inspector, Red Deer
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